Take life day at a time

I recently stood in our kitchen unloading the dishwasher. A glass slipped from my hands, hit the floor and shattered, spraying broken glass everywhere. I stopped and dared not take a step for fear of getting cut.

Of course, I was barefoot and unprepared for a mishap.

As I looked at the shattered glass on the floor, I thought, “Where is the safest place to step?”

In other words, “Where do I go from here?”

This came unexpectedly.

Being caught off guard, it took a minute to figure out what to do.

As anyone knows who has ever broken a glass, there is no way to put it back together again, and finding slivers even days later is probable.

I was unprepared, mad at myself, and now had a mess in front of me that I had to clean up.

God used this situation to share an example of how life can sometimes affect us when we least expect.

The loss of a loved one, a medical report, turmoil in a relationship and financial difficulties are a few examples of broken or shattered pieces of our lives in need of repair.

Going through years of life with one person, sharing and experiencing each day together and one day waking up — and they are gone. Perhaps through death or divorce, either one is painful.

Make no mistake about it, God is there with you to bring comfort and help in your time of need.

His loving kindness toward you never ceases; it is new every morning, filled with his great faithfulness, which is directed toward you.

You are not alone.

The day-to-day struggles and uncertainties are stressful and can affect our lives in many ways.

Is it a child who has turned to addiction and can’t seem to break that habit?

The weight of the situation becomes too hard to carry, and it feels like there will never be a change.

Yes, there will be a change.

With the Lord in our lives and hope in our hearts, we are able to have peace even in the midst of brokenness.

When tired, he is a “rock” that we can lean upon to rest and receive strength.

Hold on; healing for that shattered and broken life is on the way.

Have you ever found yourself saying, “I can’t take one more thing today.”

And what happens?

One more thing!

It is easier for us to laugh at a bad day after it has passed, but difficult to walk through it when it is happening.

Each one of us has shared a day filled with the unexpected.

There are difficulties in relationships that stretch our tolerance and scream for resolve.

God knows and understands.

He is able to give “peace that passes understanding” when we place everything and everyone in his hands.

Know this — the Lord is able to pick up the broken pieces and heal those crushed in heart and spirit.

Trusting him will give peace to a troubled soul.

There will always be those shattered and broken parts of life that will never make any sense to us.

No matter how we try to find an answer, there may not be one on this side of heaven.

For us, it is a journey not made alone.

Psalm 91:2 reads, “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; in Him will I trust.”

A hiding place for us to run for safety, strength and comfort is the Lord, our rock.

His love, presence and mercy are there to help heal shattered lives.

Simply, it is taking life “one day at a time.”

Wherever we may find ourselves today, we can have the assurance that we are not alone.

In Isaiah 25:4 Scripture reads, “For thou hast been a defense for the helpless; a defense for the needy in their distress, a refuge from the storm and a shade from the heat.”

There is one who stands along side, with open arms able to heal and restore broken pieces of our lives. His name is Jesus.

Patty Scahill of Austintown is a conference speaker, author and hospice chaplain.